


The Dog Days Are Over (The Dog Days Are Done)

by ken_ichijouji (dommific)



Series: Water park 'verse [15]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M, jim and bones get a dog - water park verse, water park verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-08
Updated: 2013-03-08
Packaged: 2017-12-04 16:24:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/712705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dommific/pseuds/ken_ichijouji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which, Jim and Bones settle into life in San Francisco and also acquire a dog named Georgie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dog Days Are Over (The Dog Days Are Done)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sangueuk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sangueuk/gifts).



> Disclaimer: The only thing that's mine is Georgie. Everything else belongs to a whole host of people with lawyers. 
> 
> Notes: This is set quite a bit in the future, to a little more than three years after the big wedding fic. We’re fast-forwarding a bit, because I just really wanted to write this.
> 
> Some of the things that happen in this story happened to me about three years ago. Not exactly the same way, but similar enough. I have enough distance now that I can find the humor in it instead of being just like OH MY GOD NO so here. Have something fluffy and ridiculous. Or something. I don’t even know anymore.
> 
> This is for sangueuk, who won fic from me in help_japan! I really hope you like it!
> 
> The house is a real house that is currently for sale in the Presidio Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. [Here](http://pics.livejournal.com/ken_ichijouji/gallery/0000ghes) are twenty-nine pictures including the floorplan, so that when I say things like “master level” none of you are confused. 
> 
> Anyone who gets the _Futurama_ reference is officially awesome.
> 
> A red eye is a drink consisting of coffee with a shot of espresso poured into it. 
> 
> [Pets Unlimited](http://www.petsunlimited.org/) is a real pet adoption center and veterinary clinic near Presidio Heights in San Francisco. They seem to be a really wonderful organization. Their coffee shop also exists, it’s called the [Blue Danube](http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=OJa&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivnscm&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&um=1&gl=us&resnum=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Blue+Danube+Coffee+House,+Clement+Street,+San+Francisco,+CA&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Blue+Danube+Coffee+House,&hnear=Clement+St,+San+Francisco,+CA&cid=13297332928419371469).
> 
> For the record, this is what Georgie looks like [here.](http://www.flickr.com/photos/domminess/2413180943/) She weighs about 50 pounds. [Here](http://www.flickr.com/photos/domminess/4249694828/) is a better full body shot. [And here](http://www.flickr.com/photos/domminess/3366082466/) is a standing shot so the descriptor of “curly tail” makes sense.
> 
> Space psychology is a real facet of psychology, dealing predominantly with objects and how they react to space around us. It also studies space-related phobias such as claustrophobia, agoraphobia, and astrophobia. It is primarily studied in modern times by Gestalt psychologists such as E.S. Reed. It’s a growing field of psychology, but it’s a real thing. Again, I’m a psych major so do with that what you will. Memory Alpha lists that one of Bones’ areas of expertise is space psychology, which is why he’s teaching a class on it at Starfleet Academy.
> 
> The part of Cadet Randolph will be played rather unimaginatively by [Alicia Keys](http://www.fashionclothingtoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Alicia-Keys-2-k.jpg).
> 
> Yes, it is [THE Emma Frost](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Frost) that Jim meets while walking Georgie. I just saw _First Class_ , and I’ve always loved Emma. And I mean, she’s had sex with Tony Stark, Namor, and Scott, is it really stretching it that she’d go for Jim? I don’t think so.

Fall was approaching in San Francisco, and this meant many things, not the least of which was the start of the academic year at Starfleet Academy. Classes began that day, and everyone was eager to get started. 

The first year cadets arrived a week before everyone else because of things like orientation and meeting their advisors and petty officers. The fourth year cadets also arrived early for meetings about their dissertations and projects. 

The faculty, however, had been back at work since three weeks prior to the semester, which meant that Bones had been working during much of the process of home buying, moving, organizing, and commute and coffee shop learning.

Fortunately, their new house was within Presidio Heights. The drive was practically insignificant, and they could walk easily to the Academy or Starfleet Command if they so desired. 

House hunting had been a bit of an ordeal. Nothing had been good enough until their realtor stepped outside of the box a little and showed them the house that Jim immediately had fallen in love with. Bones loved it too when he saw it; it was clear by the look in his eyes, although he hesitated because of the size and price tag. Four bedrooms, four and a half baths was overkill, he claimed, and it was out of their budget.

Jim was quick to point out that with Jo coming to visit one weekend every month that one of the rooms was spoken for, and that Bones could have the master suite’s office since Jim couldn’t really bring his work home with him due to the highly classified nature of it. The third bedroom would become a guest suite, while the one on the ground level next to the garage would be Jim’s man cave.

Mostly because Jim just liked saying the phrase man cave.

And as for the price tag, well…what good was an inheritance that had been sitting doing nothing but accruing compound interest for thirty years if you didn’t use it on something nice, like a home to live in for the next two decades or more?

“Jim,” Bones called out towards their bathroom as he searched for something in the still mostly unpacked area known as his office. He had put it down only a few moments ago, how on Earth did he lose it that quickly? 

“On top of the dresser,” came the call back from the bathroom.

Bones walked back towards the aforementioned new dresser with a slightly puzzled look. Yeah, that was his PADD with his syllabi and presentations. He had been up until three putting the finishing touches on them. With a fond smile, he picked up the PADD. 

“Thanks,” he called, once again toward the bathroom.

“I got you,” Jim said as he came out in half of his uniform with a towel around his shoulders. “Of course you know what I’m going to say.”

“What’s that, besides _stop throwing your shit everywhere Bones,_ ” Bones said absently as he narrowly avoided tripping over a box labeled _books and college memorabilia_ in his handwriting.

“Mmmm,” was Jim’s reply as he walked into the main part of their suite to his closet in order to grab an undershirt and his new gray jacket. It was going to take some getting used to, his not being in the command gold. “Remind me to send Lisette a thank you note, she did a fantastic job decorating this place.”

“You sent her a fruit basket,” Bones said as he put the PADD in his briefcase. “If that’s not a thank you, I don’t know what is.” He placed the briefcase on the bed before stepping into the bathroom. He was in the black teaching uniform, which would also take some getting used to. He straightened his jacket in the wall length mirror before running his fingers through his hair. Jim came back in behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Nervous?”

Bones scoffed loudly as he met Jim’s eyes in the mirror. “They should be.”

“You’re going to eat these kids alive, aren’t you?”

“Eat them alive? No.” Bones turned to face him, putting his hands on his waist. “I’m just going to make it very clear that I don’t have time for anyone who isn’t there to actually learn, or for people who think they already know everything about anatomical and forensic pathology or space psychology.” He planted a kiss on Jim’s cheek. “Because they don’t know shit.”

“I love it when you talk about the incompetence of others, tiger,” Jim said with a smile as Bones kissed his other cheek. “You need to finish setting up your office, it’s the last room we have left.”

“I do,” Bones conceded with a half-smile of his own. “I’ll do it tonight.”

“I get off before you today, I can start on it,” Jim said as he leaned in close to Bones. “I can at least put the books up on the shelves.”

Bones gave him a real smile. “That’d be nice, thanks.” He let go of Jim with his left hand to check the time. “We’ve got just enough time to swing by that coffee shop you like. Want to?”

“That sounds perfect,” Jim said with a grin. “I could go for a red eye.” Turning his back to his husband, he made his way out into the main part of their master suite. Bones quickly followed him, pausing for a moment to look around the room.

“On the bed,” Jim tossed back over his shoulder. Bones looked; sure enough, there was his briefcase. He chuckled quietly as he grabbed it and began to follow Jim down the stairs to the entry level of their home. It was a nice day, sunny and warm without being hot, so they were walking to their respective workplaces. “I wonder if they have bagels.”

“If they’re worth a damn they will,” Bones said with a shrug. He had caught up to Jim and placed a hand on his back. “Almost forgot to ask, are you nervous?”

“About which part? Pretending to be PR or learning a million highly classified things that I will never be allowed to vent to you about?”

“Either. Both.”

Jim waved a hand. “Nah. I’ve been talking to Pike a bit about it. It sounds pretty straight-forward, I just have to get used to smiling for the camera more.” He thought briefly before pouting. “Which means no more beating up the paparazzi.”

“We all have to make sacrifices,” Bones said with a sage nod. Jim gave him a mockingly annoyed look. 

They made their way out of the front door of their house. Bones turned to the keypad and both locked the door and armed the alarm system. Together they began to walk down their street towards the coffee shop. 

All in all, Bones thought as he reached out and took Jim’s hand in his, as far as new beginnings went, this one was easy.

\-----

Okay, so maybe he was a little nervous.

Jim stood looking at his new office with a slight frown. 

It was a beautiful office, actually. It was a decent size with large windows that over-looked the San Francisco bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The desk was exactly as he requested; it was old-fashioned mahogany wood with drawers. The bookshelves matched. Jim had spent two days getting everything set up the way he liked it. 

There was a knock at his door, and he turned. He smiled at the woman standing by it.

“Janice,” he said warmly. 

“Captain,” Janice Rand said back with a smile of her own. “I’d ask if you needed help getting settled, but the answer’s pretty obvious.”

“We both know how much you hate stating the obvious.”

She shrugged. “And yet when I’m with you I find I have to over and over again.”

“Ouch.”

“Thank you.” She walked over and handed him a PADD. He pulled up the day’s itinerary. He pulled out his reading glasses and began to look it over as she looked down at a holo frame on his desk. In it was a picture of him and Bones on their wedding day; it was a candid photo taken from behind of the two of them leaning close together, and their hands were joined. Janice smiled at it.

“That’s a lovely picture.”

“Thanks,” he said without looking up. “It’s my favorite.”

“I can see why.” Jim handed the PADD back to her and went to sit behind his desk. 

“Your assistant should be here around 1300,” Janice said as she went back to business. “Which, I have a message from Admiral Pike regarding Lieutenant Sonaxx.” 

“Oh yeah?” Jim looked at her curiously over top his glasses. “What’s that?”

“Play nice,” she said with a grin. 

“Oh come on, I was always nice to you.”

“When you weren’t out nearly getting yourself killed.” She shrugged. “Not to mention that ridiculousness with the things you ordered those first few months. Ten cases of ‘Pert and Popular,’ was it?”

“Never going to let me live that down, are you?”

Janice smiled. “Not a chance.”

“I feel I should point out in my defense that I was joking,” Jim explained as he pulled up a file on his computer. “But man, was I impressed that you went ahead and did it anyway.”

“You did mention that, yeah.” Janice began to make her way out the door. “You have coffee otherwise I’d offer.”

“Thanks, but I’m good,” Jim said as he took a sip of his red eye. “Actually, there is one thing you can do for me if you have time. If not, I’ll get Sonaxx to do it.”

“Oh?” She turned to face him.

He looked up at her with a grin. “It’s not urgent or anything, but if you could find me information on dog adoption agencies in this area, I’d really appreciate it.”

Janice grinned back. “Expanding the family?”

“Well, Bones said when we got settled, and the only room left to settle is his office. I think it’s about time.” He made a few keystrokes before pulling up a second file. “I plan on finishing his office for him and then us getting the dog this weekend.”

“I’m sure that will make him happy.” Janice turned again to head out the office. “I can make time to do that for you. I’ll message you with website links within the hour.”

“Awesome, thanks Jan.” Jim began to read in depth about Agent Honey’s recent exploits. It looked like her last mission had been a close call of sorts. “See you.”

“Bye, sir.” She pulled the door closed as she left, leaving Jim alone with his files. In another window he did a search for local dogs up for adoption. Wow, there were tons, and most were little puppies. 

Puppies were out; Bones put his foot down about that. Jim readily agreed, because with their work schedules neither of them really had time to do any housebreaking or rudimentary training.

He continued to look through the pictures until one dog in particular caught his eye. 

It was a reddish brown color with short hair and a cream coat on its stomach and paws. It had big pointed ears that stood up, and black markings around its eyes and mouth. It was grinning in its photo and its bright brown eyes were sparkling. It had a curly tail up around the side of its back.

Jim clicked on the link to make the image larger. The dog was practically staring at him right in the face. It, or rather she, he noticed from the caption under the photo, had a name, and it was Ginger. Shelter information was listed below her picture. It said she was about six months old, that she was a mix between something called a Shiba Inu and a German Shepherd dog, and that she weighed about forty pounds. 

Unlike the first time Jim had fallen in love, this time he immediately recognized it for what it was. He clicked the link for sending the dog’s info to someone else and sent a short message to Bones. He checked the chronometer on the wall; it would be a while before he got it, since he was right in the middle of teaching his first class.  
Jim picked up the phone and dialed the number he saw there. The vidphone rang a few times before a kindly looking man picked up.

_Hello, Pets Unlimited. How can we help you?_

“Hi,” Jim said brightly. “I’m interested in a dog you have on your website…”

\----

“I’m sure you all think this will be easy,” Bones said from behind his podium. “At the very least, you’re assuming that this subject is going to be entertaining, if not outright funny.”

Approximately forty people looked back at him. Most of them were interested, although quite a few looked apprehensive.

He stepped out from behind the podium and took a few steps toward the center of the lecture hall. “After all, we’re all in Starfleet. Space is a part of the job. People who suffer from agoraphobia or astrophobia have no place in this organization. They’ll all just wash out in a few weeks, and you’ll never have to think about them from that point onward.”

Bones crossed his arms over his chest.

“Think again.”

He noticed that several students were diligently typing everything he said on their PADDs. 

“The basic tenets of space psychology are no laughing matter, nor are any of the space related phobias. We use the concept of object permanence multiple times every day. You’re all using the Gestalt concept of amodal perception in this very room, and understanding and knowledge of treatment for space-related phobias can make the difference between life or death on a mission.”

A female cadet in the front row stopped taking notes to look up at him directly. They made eye contact before he turned his attention back to the room.

“I don’t have time for jokes. I don’t have time for games. If you’re planning on spending your time on either of those, there’s the door.” He paced back towards his podium. “If you think you’re going to skate by doing the minimum amount of work just to get the pre-req, there’s the door.”

No one got up.

That was a promising sign.

Standing once more behind the podium, he pulled up his PADD. “If you open up the directory, you will see that the syllabus for this class is now available to be viewed. There are four exams, plus one cumulative final. There’s also an extensive written project that I will be going over in more detail as it gets closer to that part of the semester.”

His students were all frantically taking notes.

“Now you’re all adults, and I’ll be treating you as such. Again, this means I expect you to work if you’re going to stay in my class. Starfleet isn’t an excuse to joyride around space, it’s a serious commitment where mistakes mean lives. I won’t settle for anything less than the best you have to offer, and neither should you.

“I also have an open door policy during my office hours. If there are any problems, come to me, and I’ll be as accommodating as I can.”

Several of the cadets looked at him warily.

“That’s not an open invitation to come cry to me about how you miss your parents or how you don’t get along with your roommate.” Bones raised an eyebrow. “There are people in Starfleet that are paid to deal with those problems. I’m not one of them. Anything that’s related to my class is fine, beyond that I don’t want to hear it.”

The students looked less confused by those words and went back to taking notes.

“Also, stop me if you have a question. I won’t be happy if I find out I was talking over your head, and you didn’t bother to get clarification on a point I’ve made. I’m not interested in steamrolling you all for time’s sake; I’m interested in you actually learning something. I don’t want any excuses come test time for why you didn’t know exactly how perception is relevant to self-preservation.”

He couldn’t help but notice that a few people looked relieved by that.

“If you pull up the syllabus,” and as he said this, everyone in the room frantically did, “you’ll see that next class we’re discussing some of the basic tenets of object permanence, or the concept of knowing an object still exists without seeing, hearing, or feeling it. Of course you all know about that, having taken a class in general psych, if not developmental. Just as I’m sure you’re all familiar with how Piaget felt that it was an infant’s most important milestone in the Sensorimotor stage.”

More than a few heads were nodding. More importantly, no one looked baffled. 

Good.

“What your general class doesn’t go into are the specific six stages of object permanence. We’ll be beginning with reflexes the next class, and I anticipate that we’ll get through the co-ordination of secondary circular reactions.” He scrolled on the screen to an area labeled as content. “I’ve posted five articles for you to read by Thursday.” Bones folded his hands behind his back. “I’m going to go ahead and end things here for today. Do your reading. We’ll discuss it next class.” He scrolled back to the syllabus on his PADD. “Dismissed.”

The students all stood as one and saluted him before they began to file out of the classroom. Bones watched them go, again with his eyebrow raised.

So far, so good, he guessed.

He began to put his PADD back into his briefcase when the student he made eye contact with began to approach him. “Can I help you, Cadet…?”

“Randolph,” she said with a smile. She had long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, dark eyes, and an olive complexion. “I just wanted to tell you how excited I am to be taking your class, Doctor McCoy. I did a paper on the Gestalt principles of space for my developmental course in my undergrad. The material was fascinating, so I’m looking forward to studying it in greater depth.”

“That’s nice,” Bones said as he finished closing his briefcase. “Cadet, I don’t have time for jokers, but I also don’t have time for suck-ups.”

“Oh no, I’m not brown-nosing, I actually am that interested,” Randolph said in a hurry. “There was something that I was wondering that pertains to your class, though.”

“Sure.” Bones looked at her with a curious expression. “I wasn’t kidding about the open door policy.”

“Well, it’s just that I noticed on your syllabus it lists your teacher’s assistant position as ‘to be determined.’ I’m assuming that means you haven’t selected one.”

“I haven’t selected one because I don’t plan to,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone as he began to walk out of the lecture hall. Randolph got with the program and immediately tried to keep up with him. “I don’t have time to deal with some wet behind the ears kid giving out As like candy.”

“I’d like to ask you to reconsider,” she said after a moment. “I’d also like to throw my hat in the ring.”

Bones stopped short and looked at her. “If you need a job, Cadet, there’s a work-study program.”

“I’m working at Starfleet medical on their rotation in the clinical psych department, actually.” Randolph grinned at him. “I don’t need the job, but I want it.”

Bones was less than impressed. “I’m not getting an assistant just because you want me to.”

Randolph pulled up a file on her PADD. “McCoy Leonard at Starfleet dot EDU, right?”

“Congratulations, you’ve memorized my email address. It’s only at the top of the syllabus, so don’t think I’m proud of you or anything.” The PADD in his briefcase beeped, signaling he had a message. “What’d you just send me, your resume?”

“Among other things,” Randolph said with a shrug. “I only ask one favor, that you read the documents I just sent you. If you still don’t agree that I’d be the perfect TA, I will leave you alone for the rest of the semester.” She began to turn and walk in the opposite direction down the hall. “I swear. Have a good day, sir.” She saluted and walked off, ostensibly toward her next class.

Bones shook his head at her retreating figure. He’d been assuming that his problem would be indifference, laziness, and goofing off. Instead he had a run-in barely as class ended with a scheming over-achiever. 

He made his way across the quad to his office. Fortunately, since it was the first day of classes the likelihood of a student actually needing him was slim-to-none, unless they were illiterate or something. 

Bones sat his briefcase on his desk. He smiled for a second at wedding photo of he and Jim. Speaking of Jim, he saw the message from him pop up just as class was starting. He opened the briefcase and took the PADD out. Sure enough, there were two unread messages; one from Randolph, and one from Jim. He opened the one from Jim first. 

_From: Kirk, James T., Captain, Starfleet Command – Public Relations_

_To: McCoy, Leonard, Commander, Starfleet Academy_

_Subject: I FOUND HER!_

_Bones, tell me she isn’t perfect, and I’ll call you a liar. She’s exactly what we want!_

_Hope your day is going well. Love you, see you for dinner._

_Jim_

Bones opened the attached pictures. The dog, Ginger, was gorgeous, but Bones already knew that Jim had good taste. He had never seen another dog like her, actually. It was a bit worrying that she was apparently only six months old, but on the plus side it meant she was mostly full-grown. She at least had to be housebroken. Bones smiled again before looking with a fond expression at the wedding photo. Jim had a copy of this picture in his office, and knowing that made him happy.

_From: McCoy, Leonard, Commander, Starfleet Academy_

_To: Kirk, James T., Captain, Starfleet Command – Public Relations_

_She looks good, but don’t get ahead of yourself. We have a deal, remember?_

_I’ll stop by the market on the way home; I feel like steaks. Love you too, Jim._

_Bones_

He hit send, and off the message went. He pulled up Randolph’s message. As she explained, her resume was attached. 

So was her dissertation for her PhD, which apparently focused on treatment of specific environmental-based phobias, such as darkness, if the title was anything to go by. 

The PADD beeped. He had a new message from Jim.

_Of course I remember, but there’s only one room left, and it’s like…half a room, if that. We’re pretty much settled so there’s no harm in looking._

_Steak sounds good. Can you make those awesome roasted vegetables you did last time too? Oh, and wine, get a bottle of red wine._

Bones snorted. 

_Yeah, I can do the roasted vegetables, and wine sounds like a good idea. We can eat on the deck._

_Stop wistfully staring at the pictures of Ginger, Jim._

The PADD beeped again.

_How did you know I was…you know what, never mind. It’s creepy when you do that, by the way. See you at home, ass._

Bones laughed out loud for a minute. He then moved the messages to a folder he kept specifically for correspondence with Jim. 

He also moved Randolph’s email to the trash.

\-----

Jim wiped his brow with the back of a hand and admired his handiwork.

Bones was due back any minute, and he couldn’t wait for him to see his office.

It was actually completely finished, and even organized to Bones’ unique specifications. Jim even found homes for all of his favorite photographs. He had a special frame on the desk for a holo of Jo’s most recent school picture. Everything was all set up, and he was sure Bones would love it.

And, okay, if he wasn’t entirely altruistic in having done this, well…hopefully Bones wouldn’t catch on.

Jim might have left out the part where he put a deposit down on Ginger, who really needed a new name by the way, over the phone earlier, or that they had an appointment to meet her and bring her home the next night. It wasn’t like he wasn’t going to tell Bones this, but he just planned on doing it over dinner after he had the chance to decompress for a bit. 

He checked the chronometer on Bones’ desk; shit, he would be home any minute. Jim began to make his way down the stairs to the living level of the house. He went to the liquor cabinet and poured two fingers of Knob Creek, Bones’ special-occasion bourbon, in a rocks glass. Perfect timing, as he heard the front door open on the floor below. 

“Jim?”

“Up here,” Jim called back with a grin. He fixed his hair briefly before grabbing the glass. Bones came up the stairs, packages from the market and briefcase in tow, as Jim began to move towards the front of the house to meet him halfway. He held out the drink, causing Bones to slow his steps before stopping all together. Bones raised an eyebrow at him. “What?”

“I should be asking you that,” Bones said with a shrug. “You’re greeting me with a bourbon. You never do that unless you want something.”

Jim sputtered. “I don’t…I don’t want anything.”

“Uh huh,” Bones mumbled as he took the bourbon from him. He began to make his way to the kitchen. Jim followed him, watching as he placed the bag from the market on the counter. He took a moment to take a wrapped package out of the bag. He then began to pull an assortment of peppers, broccoli, and zucchini out.

Jim sighed. “Okay, so, I might have went ahead and finished your office.”

Bones paused; he turned to face him. “You what?”

“Look, I know how you like things to be organized, and I kind of zenned out and before I knew it, it was done.” He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Honest, it just kind of happened.”

Bones stared at him with a considering expression. He grabbed the bourbon and took a sip; he then seemingly casually set it back down on the counter.

“What did you do?”

“Do? I don’t…”

“Jim.” It was a warning.

Jim sighed; this was the problem with being married to someone who knew you better than they knew themselves: the endless litany of them calling you out on your shit. “Okay. Remember that dog I sent you?”

“The one that we agreed we were just window-shopping with?”

Jim smiled. “Might’ve done more than just window-shopping.”

An alarmed look crossed Bones’ features as he walked out of the kitchen to look into their backyard. Jim hurriedly walked after him.

“No, she’s not here yet, I didn’t bring her home.” Bones turned to face him with a look of relief. “But I did leave a deposit over the phone, and we’re to bring her home tomorrow.” The look on Bones’ face became a glare. “Pending approval, of course! I told them if you say no then the deal’s off.”

Bones sighed. “Jim…”

“Look, she’s amazing,” Jim pleaded. “She’s amazing, and if we didn’t snatch her up someone else was going to. She’s beautiful, all the videos prove she’s incredibly smart, she’s a good age and size…she’s everything we want!” 

Bones looked irritated, but not outright angry. That was something, he supposed.

“Come on, Bones,” Jim said, turning his big blue eyes all the way up to full puppy-dog. “We can walk if you don’t like her, they gave me their word. Let’s at least go and give her a chance?”

“You put a deposit down on her, Jim.”

“That’s refundable!” 

Bones took another long sip of bourbon. “Is it?”

“Yeah, it was just in good faith to make sure no one adopted her before we get to see her.” Jim bowed his head a little. “I just, I didn’t want us to miss out. She really is something special, Bones, and I’d hate to lose her because we had to wait a day or two, and yeah, okay, I did the office and had the drink waiting to curry favor.”

“Thanks for admitting it,” Bones said as he sat the bourbon back down. “I should tell you to call them back and say we decided against it, I really should.”

Jim’s expression became unbearably sad. “Aw, Bones…”

Bones sighed. “But this is obviously important to you, and she does seem like a great dog.” He took another long drink of the bourbon as he grabbed a cutting board before washing his hands. He then pulled a knife off the metal strip above the sink and began to slice a pepper. “We’ll go tomorrow when I get out of my last class, but I’m keeping my veto privileges. If she pees on either of us, bites us, or barks uncontrollably, we’re not bringing her home.”

Jim immediately began to grin, before ramping it down into a simple pleased expression. “I understand.” He peaked in the bag where a bottle of Beaujolais sat. “Want me to chill this?”

“Should be fine now, if you want a glass,” Bones said off-handedly. “I’ll have mine with dinner.”

“Nah, I can wait. I’ll go put on some music though. Marvin or Al?”

“Otis.”

“Otis it is,” Jim pressed a kiss to Bones’ cheek. “Thanks for agreeing to meet her, it means a lot to me.”

“I know,” Bones said with a half-smile as he concentrated on his knife work. Jim took that as a cue to leave him to it, and he walked into the living room to the panel display that controlled their sound system. He cued up _Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul_. The music began to play throughout the floor. Jim looked around the corner to the kitchen; Bones’ back was to him as he cut up the broccoli. 

Perfect.

He chose this moment to begin dancing. He even jumped up and down a few times for good measure. 

Bones said yes!

\-----

That night and the next day flew by, and before Jim knew it, it was time to go. He grabbed his car keys and made his way out of his office to the Starfleet command parking lot. He put the top down on his car and pulled on his sunglasses. He then backed the car out of its space and began to drive over to Starfleet Academy.

It was a short drive, as they were on the same basic campus. He made a right turn and parked right in front of April Hall. Jim got out of the car and made his way inside the building to Bones’ office. 

The man himself was sitting at his desk, reading something on a PADD. 

“Lesson plans,” Jim said with a knock on the door. Bones looked up, confused for a moment, before smiling back. 

“Just checking my email one more time before I clock out,” Bones explained. “I’m all set to go.” He put the PADD in his briefcase, and stood up. Jim grinned. 

“C’mon then, our destiny awaits.” Bones joined him at the door, and they paused so he could shut and lock it. At this moment, a female cadet came up to them. 

“Doctor, a word?”

Bones had the look on his face that meant he was fighting off rolling his eyes. This made Jim raise his eyebrow in response. “Office hours are over, cadet.”

“I understand,” she said with a nod. “I was just curious to see if you read my dissertation.”

“I don’t need to,” Bones said with a shrug. “I’m not getting a TA.”

She didn’t frown, and her shoulders didn’t sag, but her disappointment was palpable just the same. Jim looked at Bones with a slight frown; being his TA clearly meant a lot to her, and Bones wouldn’t even take a glance at her paperwork? 

“I understand,” she said after a long pause. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, sir.” She saluted, though it was half-hearted, and she turned and made her way back down the hall. 

“What was that about,” Jim asked as they made their way outside to his car. 

“Randolph approached me after class practically begging to be my TA,” Bones explained as he waited for Jim to unlock the passenger door. “Told her I wasn’t interested, and she sent me her dissertation and resume anyway. I moved the files to the trash because apparently she thinks when I say I don’t want a TA that somehow I’ll magically make an exception for her.” He pulled on his own sunglasses and rolled his window down to prop his arm on the door.

Jim frowned. “I don’t think she’s expecting special treatment, I think she’s just expecting a chance.” He paused in pulling out of the space to put the address of the shelter into the GPS. “I mean, it couldn’t hurt for you to have an assistant anyways. You’ve got what, two hundred students? Grading papers takes a long time, it could be good to have some help.”

“Or she could go easy on them, give everyone As, and mess everything up for the future of Starfleet medical personnel.”

“You don’t know that, Bones,” Jim said as he made a turn. “She could be even tougher than you are.”

Bones didn’t say anything to that but he looked thoughtful. “You think I’m being unreasonable.”

“Not unreasonable so much as taking on too much like you usually do,” Jim said honestly. He took another left. “You don’t have to do everything yourself, you know. That’s why professors have TAs in the first place. Hell, I was one, and I didn’t go easy on the cadets. My will was ironclad.”

Bones snorted. “This is true.” He ran a hand through his hair, which was pretty wind-blown at this point. “I’ll read her dissertation. If it’s any good, I’ll reconsider it.”

“That’s the spirit,” Jim said with a smile as they pulled into a parking space. A sign on the building proclaimed _Pets Unlimited_. Jim put the top back up on the car before they stepped out of it. Bones walked ahead and opened the door. Jim locked the car and followed him inside.

At the reception desk, a short redhead smiled at them. “Hi! Do you gentlemen have an appointment?”

“We do, actually, we’re here to see Ginger,” Jim said as he put his sunglasses on top of his head. “The Kirk-McCoys?”

She nodded as she highlighted something by touching the computer screen. “Your adoption counselor will be with you in a minute. Would you like to have a seat?”

They looked to their left; there was a cushioned bench across the foyer from them. “Yeah, that’s fine,” Bones said with a shrug. Jim took his hand and winked at the receptionist, who immediately blushed and smiled back at him. Bones rolled his eyes and tugged him over to have a seat.

“Is there anyone you won’t flirt with?”

“You’re asking this now?” Jim snorted. “I mean, have we met?”

Before Bones could retort, a woman came out to greet them. “The Kirk-McCoys?” Both men stood. “Hi, I’m Stephanie. I’ll be your adoption counselor. Come on back, it’s time to meet Ginger.”

She held a door open for them and led them back to a room. Stephanie opened the door.

Ginger sat in the middle of the floor with her ears up. She was just as pretty as in her pictures, her bright brown eyes shining with intelligence and curiosity. The curly tail at her back began to wag furiously at the sight of people.

“This is,” Stephanie began as the dog bolted upright, and bee-lined for Jim. He crouched down onto one knee as she plowed into him. Ginger emitted a kind-of high pitched almost screaming sound as she jumped onto her hind legs, placed her front paws on Jim’s shoulders, and immediately began to attack his face with her tongue. Jim burst out laughing. 

Bones shook his head, but he couldn’t help grinning at the two of them. The dog continued to make that high-pitched noise as she knocked Jim onto his ass, still licking his face.

“Does she always do that,” Bones asked the counselor. 

“When she’s excited or upset, otherwise she barks like a normal dog,” Stephanie answered. “It’s a Shiba Inu trait.”

Jim had his arms around the dog, and was trying to pet her as much as he could between the laughing and the licking. 

“Ginger, stop,” Stephanie said in a commanding tone. Ginger paused to look at her for a second before immediately going for Jim’s face again. She sighed. “Ginger, that’s enough. Stop.”

Ginger stopped briefly, but only because she noticed Bones. She immediately left Jim, who wiped his face with the back of a hand, and tried to jump up on Bones. Bones wasn’t having it, however, and he put his knee up in the air to block her. Ginger ran into his knee and landed back on all fours with a slightly perplexed expression.

She tried again; Bones once again put his knee up and the dog landed back on the ground. Ginger shook it off and tried for a third time with the same result. She made a loud snuffling noise before turning back to Jim. For the second time she started climbing all over him and licking his face.

“You’re the sweetest dog,” Jim said with a lot of affection in his voice. “You’re seriously so sweet.” He scratched the spot just above the base of her tail. Ginger’s ears went flat, and she grinned up at Jim adoringly. 

Bones looked at Stephanie with a serious expression. “She doesn’t seem to listen very well.”

“She does,” Stephanie said after a pause. “But she’s not always consistent about it.”

“Jim, you shouldn’t let her climb all over you like that,” Bones said down to his husband. He turned his attention back to the counselor. “She seems stubborn.”

“She is a bit, but she’s also still kind of a puppy. Her previous owners didn’t train her at all, we’ve worked with her a lot since we got her.”

“They didn’t train her? She’s six months old,” Bones said in an incredulous tone.

“No, they got her basically with the thought that a puppy is a toy. They didn’t even housebreak her, and they dumped her by the side of the road when she acted like a puppy. A neighbor of theirs brought her in, and we reported them to the authorities of course. Since we got her a month ago, we’ve housebroken her and have been trying to do some obedience training.” She looked down where Ginger had calmed a little; she was still rubbing up against Jim, but she wasn’t screaming anymore. She was also only licking Jim’s face sporadically now. 

The same Jim who looked suddenly heartbroken. 

“People really did that to her?” He was looking up at Stephanie and Bones with such sadness in his eyes that it made Bones’ heart ache in response. 

“She’s not the first dog we’ve gotten with a similar story, and she won’t be the last, unfortunately.”

Jim was quietly petting her, scratching her behind the ears as she grinned and panted. Bones looked at the counselor.

“Could you give us a few minutes,” he asked, not unkindly. Stephanie nodded. 

“Sure, I’ll let you three keep getting acquainted.” She opened the door and stepped out into the hall, closing it behind her as she went. Bones knelt down next to Jim; he reached out a hand and Ginger came over to him. She tried to climb on him like she did Jim, but Bones held her down to pet her. 

“I can’t believe they didn’t even give her a chance,” Jim said as he watched Bones stroke her back. “Yeah, she’s got energy but…they just threw her away. Like she was nothing.”

“It unfortunately happens,” Bones said with a shrug. “She’s kind of a handful.”

“It’s just because no one’s worked with her. They didn’t try, so she’s rough around the edges.” Jim started to pet her too, opting to scratch her behind the ears. “I was too, and if my memory serves, so were you.”

Bones nodded with a smile. “Yeah, we were. It’s true.”

Ginger spotted a toy in the corner of the room and pranced over to it. She promptly picked it up in her jaws and trotted back over to Jim. She sat, wagging her tail against the ground as she looked at him imploringly. Jim wordlessly took the toy from her and threw it across the room; Ginger was eager to chase it and immediately brought it back to Jim. He did it again and Ginger continued to chase after it.

“You already love her, don’t you?”

Jim didn’t say anything out loud; indeed, he didn’t have to. The expression on his face spoke volumes. He tossed the toy again and Ginger chased after it. 

“She needs a different name. I mean, I get why Ginger, that’s what color she is. But she deserves something more. Something better.” 

The dog brought the toy back to them, dropping it from in-between her jaws. Ginger looked at Bones for a second before focusing back on Jim. She pushed her snout up under his arm. Jim laughed and began to pet her gently. 

Bones sighed. “She’s less trained than what we originally said we’d get.”

“I’ll work with her.”

“Yeah, you will. This is going to be your project, Jim, no shirking her off onto me.”

“Wouldn’t dare.” Ginger had rolled onto her back and Jim was scratching her belly. She looked incredibly happy and content. 

“I’ll have to get gates to keep her in the kitchen when we’re not home.”

Jim nodded, still scratching her belly. “Or she can stay outside.”

“And let her dig up my rose bushes? You’re dreaming.” Bones reached out a hand and began to rub her belly too. Ginger was ecstatic and started thumping her tail in time with the movement of their hands. “You’re really sure about this? She’s going to be a lot of work.”

“I like challenges,” Jim said as he continued to pet her. “There’s only one other time I’ve been this sure, and I got a husband out of it. I know what I’m doing.”

Bones nodded. “Okay then. I’ll get Stephanie so we can fill out the paperwork.”

Jim finally looked at him then, and a bright happiness shone in his eyes. “You’re the best, Bones.”

“I know,” Bones said as he pulled him in for a kiss. “I want you to remember that when you clean up after her going in the house.”

“She won’t do that, she’s perfect,” Jim retorted. He rubbed Ginger’s snout. “What do you think about Georgie?”

The dog cocked her head to one side with interest and looked at Jim seriously. Bones nodded.

“Georgie’s a better fit than Ginger,” he said without stating the obvious, that it was for Jim’s father. “I’ll get Stephanie. You two keep bonding.”

Bones stood, brushing the shedded fur off his knees, and turned to make his way back into the hall to find their adoption counselor. Jim immediately started talking in a low voice to the dog.

“What do you say, girl? Want to come home today?”

Georgie cocked her head to one side again, but something shifted in her expression as if she was saying _yes_. She panted and grinned, and after a moment, she rubbed up against Jim again. He hugged her in his arms. 

“Okay, then it’s settled. You’re coming home.”

Georgie nuzzled her snout under Jim’s hand, and he scratched her behind the ears.

\-----

After several pieces of paperwork, a few credits, and a care package including rawhide chews and toys, Jim and Bones packed their new dog, Georgie, into Jim’s car. Jim drove extra carefully on the way back to their house, and he kept an eye on her in the rearview mirror.

Bones kept assuring him that she was fine, but Jim was concerned for her safety and white-knuckled anyway. 

After a brief detour to Petsmart, they pulled into their garage. Georgie looked around with a curious expression, although she started from the noise of the garage door closing behind her. She recovered quickly and jumped up to the center console in between Jim and Bones. 

“Georgie…” Bones began, but the dog ignored him. She clearly wasn’t used to her new name yet. “Ginger, stay,” he tried again. Her ears twitched, but she continued to look curiously around her as she panted frantically. Jim opened his door and Georgie immediately climbed into his lap to get out.

“Ack,” Jim cried out as her paw dug into a sensitive area. Bones snorted. Georgie climbed out of the car first, tumbling out onto the concrete floor of the garage. Bones slowly opened his door and followed suit, Jim not too far behind. 

The dog ran around the garage, sniffing everything she could reach. She stood up on her hind legs and sniffed Jim’s tool bench enthusiastically. Both Bones and Jim watched her fondly for a second before Jim whistled. 

“C’mon Georgie-girl,” he called, and the dog loped on over to him. “Let’s see your home, okay?”

Georgie wagged her tail and investigated the door leading to the bottom level. She sat beside it expectantly before looking back to Jim. Bones shook his head a few times; she clearly had decided that Jim was her person, which he was fine with. That was how it should be, since Jim would be the one to train and discipline her. 

Jim opened the door and they stepped into the bottom level of their home. Georgie ran ahead of them to investigate the Man Cave. Jim whistled a second time and she came loping back. The trio made their way up the stairs to the next level of the house. Once more, Georgie tried to investigate before Jim whistled, reigning her in.

Bones was impressed; she seemed unwilling to listen back at the shelter, but she was totally treating Jim like her alpha dog at Petsmart and now in their home. Jim had insisted on buying only the highest quality food for Georgie, as well as a new bed for the breakfast nook, plus toys, dishes, and a shiny new leash and collar. He was already spoiling her, much to Bones’ consternation. 

Georgie bounded up the stairs to the next level, and he and Bones tried to keep up. She was in the kitchen, and she did that weird bark-scream thing she did at the shelter. Jim grinned at her as he showed his face over the steps, Bones right behind him. 

“This is where you’ll be most of the time, Georgie,” he said with a smile as he walked over to her. She bravely advanced on him and jumped on him the way she did at the shelter. Jim rubbed behind her ears affectionately.

“You should push her down when she does that,” Bones said almost to no one in particular. “It’s bad manners.”

“She’s fine,” Jim said as he continued scratching her. “She won’t do it to guests, will you, Georgie?”

Georgie grinned up at him. She wagged her tail a few times before sliding back down onto all fours. She then went to the back door by the deck, sitting and thumping her tail beside it.

“She needs to go out,” Bones said as he made his way into the kitchen to wash his hands. Tonight’s menu was grilled tuna steaks and salad. 

“What are you talking about?” Jim shot him a perplexed look. “She went to the bathroom when we were at Petsmart. She’s fine.”

“She’s a puppy, Jim.” Bones was done washing his hands, and he dried them on a towel. “They need to go out pretty frequently.”

“She’s fine, she’s just sitting by the door because she…”

Georgie was squatting in front of the door, peeing with a serious look on her face.

Jim stared blankly at her as Bones snorted once. 

She continued to pee for a seemingly long time. An almost worringly long time, if Jim was being honest. She just kept peeing, almost forever. Finally she was done, and she panted and grinned up at them as she made her way into the kitchen to get affection from Jim.

Jim blinked down at her a few times before he grabbed the roll of paper towels on the counter. He also tried not to notice the fact that Bones was stifling laughter.

He was married to a dick. That wasn’t news.

Jim walked back to the deck door and knelt down to mop up the incredible puddle of dog pee that sat by the door. 

Okay, so.

He would just have to make sure he didn’t ignore that sign again. Good to know that she was trained enough to at least sit by the door, he guessed. It took a lot of paper towels, but her mess was cleaned up, and she grinned at him. Jim smiled back instinctively.

It was one mishap. It didn’t mean she was a bad dog or anything.

He opened the door to let her out into the backyard, and Georgie immediately went out to explore. There wasn’t much in the way of grass, but Bones did have his rose bushes and gardenias, so Jim kept an eye on her to make sure she wasn’t digging anything up. Dimly, he heard the sounds of cooking behind him, and Bones put a hand on his shoulder. Jim gave him a warm smile as they watched their dog investigate her new home.

“Female dogs don’t tend to dig much,” Bones said by way of explanation. “Male dogs tend to be the diggers, but she may have anxiety issues which could cause her to dig or be destructive.”

Jim nodded. Something occurred to him then, and he gave his husband a sly look. “I thought your people had horses, not dogs.”

“Oh I had dogs growing up,” Bones said with a shrug. “Dad made me train Midnight when I was nine.”

“Midnight? Let me guess, he was black.”

“I was _nine_ ,” Bones snapped. “You tell me what you would’ve named a black Border Collie at nine.”

“You’re cute,” Jim answered. Bones scowled and went back to their dinner, leaving Jim to stare out the back door at Georgie, who had her front paws up on the edge of a flowerbed as she sniffed a bush. She jumped back down and ran to the grassy area of their yard, squatting to go to the bathroom again. Jim felt kind of creepy watching their dog pee, so he headed back into the kitchen to wash his hands and set the table for dinner. 

A loud but muffled bark sounded throughout the house just as Jim finished filling glasses with iced tea for their dinner. Guessing that this meant Georgie wanted to come back inside, Jim went over to the backyard door. Sure enough, she was sitting there waiting for him. Georgie wagged her tail and bounded inside as Jim opened the door. 

Bones had two plates full of food that he was carrying to the breakfast nook. He sat at a chair after placing his napkin in his lap; Jim and Georgie followed. Jim sat in the chair at the head of the table as he took a sip of iced tea. Bones liked his sweet, something Jim was still getting used to after four years of being together. 

Georgie sat next to Jim, and her brown eyes were large as she looked up at him imploringly. Jim paused in the middle of cutting his tuna steak to look back down at her. 

“If you feed her, you’ll never be able to eat in peace,” Bones said before taking a bite of salad. He looked completely unmoved by Georgie’s display.

Jim continued to look down at her. She just looked so sad, surely a little piece of tuna wouldn’t cause a problem? 

He stared at her again for several seconds before putting a piece of tuna in his hand. He held it out to her, and she immediately it took it off his hand, munching on it happily. Georgie licked her lips and sat back, her tail dragging across the floor as it wagged. Jim grinned back at her as he went about eating his dinner.

“You gonna read Randolph’s dissertation after dinner?”

“Yeah, I’ll skim it,” Bones said in between bites. “I don’t have time to read the entire thing. I’ll be able to tell pretty quickly if it’s worth anything.”

Georgie made a strange huffing noise as she moved a little closer to Jim. Jim looked down at her with a bewildered expression.

“She wants more food. I told you that you shouldn’t give her any.”

Jim shrugged. “It’s fine.” They were finished eating, and Bones cleared the plates to wash them. Jim sat back in the chair as Georgie advanced on him. She grumbled a little and licked his hand. Jim patted her head with a fond expression. “Guess we should go ahead and feed her and set up her dishes, though.”

“Not a bad idea,” Bones called from the kitchen. “Food’s right here, we’ll have to store it where she can’t get to it.”

Jim got up from the table and went over to the thirty-pound back of food and bag of other things they got for her at the pet store. He pulled out the two metal bowls. Jim debated briefly before setting them in the breakfast area near the kitchen entryway. He opened the bag of food and poured some into one of the bowls; Georgie’s ears perked up and she immediately ran over to the dish. She eagerly began to eat. Jim took the other bowl into the kitchen, where Bones was drying his hands. 

Jim quickly filled it with cool water and stepped back into the breakfast nook, placing it next to Georgie’s food. Georgie kind of hunched defensively, as if she was afraid he would take it away from her, before she relaxed. He scratched her behind the ears fondly before stepping back and watching her eat. 

“Jim,” Bones said suddenly. Jim ran into the kitchen, where Bones was standing with the box that housed the gate for the kitchen doorway. “Help me set this up, would you?”

Jim looked back toward the breakfast area; he wanted to watch and play with Georgie. Bones cleared his throat.

“Today, Jim,” he said in an impatient tone. Jim sighed and looked back toward him. 

“Fine, although I still don’t think this is necessary. She’ll be fine.”

“She’s a puppy,” Bones said as he got the tools down from where they kept them in the kitchen. “Puppies need boundaries.”

Jim shrugged as he held the gate in place while Bones started to attach it to the wall. Georgie trotted over to them, sniffing at the gate and wagging her tail. She quickly grew bored of watching them work and went back to the breakfast nook. Georgie had obviously discovered her new bed, as she curled up on it. She made a loud noise, almost like a long-suffering sigh. 

Well, that was okay. Jim would just give her lots of extra attention to make up for it when they were done.

Things would be fine.

\-----

It was time for bed, and Jim found himself saddened by what he was about to do.

The door to the dining room was closed already, and it was just about time to close the gate from the living room to the kitchen. Georgie would be locked into those two rooms for the night. 

He knelt down and looked her in the eye. Georgie grinned at him and wagged her tail. 

“Good night, Georgie,” he said as he wrapped her in a hug. “I love you very much.”

Georgie nuzzled into him for a second before she backed off. She went and grabbed her new favorite toy, which was a stuffed lobster. She held it out to him, asking to play silently. 

Jim frowned, but he did take the lobster from her. “I can’t play with you, Georgie, I have to go to bed.” He tossed the lobster across the room, and she ran after it. He quickly stood and made his way through the kitchen to the gate. Georgie ran after him; she sat on one side of the gate with a slightly confused expression. Jim closed and latched the gate. “Night, Georgie,” he said with a sigh as he turned and headed to the stairs.

A loud cry came from the kitchen, followed by the high-pitched screaming she was doing at the shelter. Jim slowly made his way up the stairs with a pained expression.

Bones sat reading in his pajamas in bed, a PADD in front of him. He looked thoroughly captivated by whatever it was. 

“I feel like a terrible human being,” Jim said as he pulled his shirt over his head on his way into his closet to change.

“She’ll get over it,” Bones called back. 

Georgie continued to cry loudly throughout the house. 

Jim walked back out of the closet in a beat-up t-shirt and a pair of striped, loose pants. “I don’t understand how you can be so calm about this, Bones, listen to her. She’s so sad. She really can’t sleep up here with us?”

Bones put the PADD down and looked at Jim seriously. “Because you won’t put her up on the bed within five seconds of her being in here. Dogs don’t belong on the furniture.”

Guilt crossed Jim’s features. “Not within five seconds, I wouldn’t…”

“Not to mention she’s still a puppy, which means she’s likely to have accidents. I am not getting up at three in the morning to shampoo the carpet.”

Jim sighed. “I know, I know, but I just don’t understand how you can sit there and be unmoved by this. She sounds so sad and lonely.”

“I’m a father, Jim,” Bones said in a kind voice. “Puppies aren’t that dissimilar from babies. Sometimes you just have to let them cry it out.” He reached out his arms and Jim flopped down on the bed into them. “She’ll stop in a bit when she realizes that it won’t get her any attention,” he said as he stroked Jim’s back. “She’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

Jim didn’t say anything but he did nod a few times. Bones continued to pet him gently. He finally looked up into Bones’ eyes; some of the sadness and worry had faded. Bones smiled and pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. 

“How’s the dissertation,” Jim asked after a few moments.

“Brilliant, actually,” Bones said with a shrug. “Her treatment strategy is not only effective, it’s incredibly compassionate. It’s so simplistic, I’m surprised nothing like it has been done before.”

“Sounds like you have a new TA,” Jim said with a smile.

“I will rule over her with an iron fist,” Bones said with a shrug. “But yes, I plan on offering her the job tomorrow.”

“Good,” Jim said as he planted a kiss on Bones’ neck. “Maybe this way I’ll actually get to see you during the semester.” He planted another kiss; Bones tilted his head to the side to give him better access. 

“You would have seen me.”

“Mmm,” Jim mumbled as he bit down on a spot. 

“Okay maybe, _oh_ ,” Bones began to pant a little. “Maybe I would have been constantly grading things.”

“Mmm.”

Bones began to pull on Jim’s shirt. “Stop being smarmy and fuck me for real, okay?”

Jim rolled them so that Bones’ back was pressed into the mattress. His eyes had darkened to an impossible inky shade of green, and there was a flush high on his cheeks. Jim smiled down at his husband before brushing his bangs off his forehead. 

“Feeling better?”

“A bit,” Jim conceded. “I’ll feel even better once I’m sucking your cock, though,” he said as he slid lower down Bones’ body.

And you know what?

He did.

\-----

Jim finished making the coffee in their French press. He poured it into two travel mugs, then doctored up Bones’ the annoying way he liked it with all that cream and sugar. He screwed the lids onto the mugs and carefully made sure to grab his. He took a sip.

Georgie barked on the other side of the glass door to be let in. Jim walked over and opened it; she bounded inside to jump on him. He laughed and pat her sides. Sure he was going to have red hair all over his pants, but who cared? He sat behind a desk all day, no one would notice. 

Bones came down the stairs with his briefcase. “Ready?” He grabbed the blue travel mug and took a sip; Jim hesitated.

“Do we really have to keep her locked up? Can’t we just…see how it goes?”

Bones gave Jim a serious look. “We agreed that…”

“No, I know, you’re right.” He kept petting Georgie, who was relishing the affection. “Okay, girl, let’s go to your nook.” He began to walk her to the breakfast area, and she followed him. However, when Jim started to walk back to the kitchen, Georgie followed just as eagerly. Jim frowned and then walked her back to the breakfast nook. He then walked back to the kitchen with her at his heels.

“Jim come on, we’ll be late,” Bones said as he walked down the stairwell. “Quit playing with the dog, let’s go.”

Jim stood in the kitchen doorway where the gate should have been closed. Georgie stood on the other side of the gate, ears perked and tail slowly wagging. 

Bones had a department meeting that day, which meant he would be getting home after Jim. This meant that he would have no way of knowing if the dog was left out or not.

He pulled the gate mostly closed, but didn’t shut it or lock it. 

Bones didn’t need to know. 

He grabbed his gold mug and headed down both flights of stairs to the garage level, where Bones was waiting in the car. He jumped in the driver’s seat with a grin before brushing some red fur off his pants. The garage door opened and he backed the car out into the driveway.

What could possibly go wrong?

\-----

“…Which leads into the formation of goal orientation. It’s when a child first begins to make deliberate steps to achieve an end,” Bones said to the classroom as his students tried to keep up with his words. “It’s little wonder that Piaget called this the first proper intelligence. This stage is possibly the most important phase of the sensorimotor development.” He took a sip of water, once again catching Randolph’s eye. She held his gaze for a moment before turning back to her notes. “Logic begins to form here.”

Several of the cadets nodded their agreement. 

“Related to this coordination is the separation of means and goals in accomplishing things. The presence of intentionality begins to form; simple actions begin to have a purpose, and they are done deliberately.”

His students continued to take notes on their PADDs, typing as quickly as they could manage. 

“Actions not only have a purpose, even if that purpose is just simple such as satiating hunger, but they become outwardly directed. The infant begins to understand how to combine and recombine previously learned schemes in a coordinated way.”

Bones checked the chronometer on the wall; time was just about up. There was no point in going into the tertiary circular rotations, novelty, or curiosity. 

“I’ll end here for today,” he said after a pause. “Continue with your reading for next week, and do the questionnaire that’s been uploaded. Remember, I don’t accept late assignments.” He placed his PADD inside his briefcase. “Dismissed.” The cadets stood and saluted before making their way out of the classroom. “Cadet Randolph, a word?”

Randolph gave him a nervous look as she made her way over to the podium. “Yes, Commander?”

“It’s Doctor,” he corrected. “I read your dissertation.”

She looked almost as if she was trying not to get her hopes up, and she didn’t reply, just allowed him to continue.

“It’s brilliant.”

Randolph allowed herself to smile. “Thank you, Doctor McCoy.”

Bones nodded at her once. “There’s no easy way for me to say this so I’ll just come out with it. You’re incredibly competent, and you clearly have a strong eye for detail. If you haven’t reconsidered from my attitude the past few days, I’d like to have you as my TA after all.”

Now she was outright grinning. “Is that an apology, sir?”

“Keep your voice down, I have a reputation to uphold,” he said in a cross tone. Her grin widened.

“Sorry. How careless of me.”

He didn’t intimidate her. 

That was a good sign. 

“Do you want the job or not?”

Randolph tossed her ponytail over one shoulder. “I accept.”

“Good,” Bones said with a nod. “You start tomorrow during my office hours. We’ll work out a more permanent schedule, and I’ll familiarize you with my rubric.”

“Sounds good,” Randolph said with a salute. “And sir? You won’t regret it.” With that, she turned and took her leave. Bones watched her go before turning his attention back to his briefcase. 

“I better not,” he said to the empty room.

\-----

Jim entered his home through the garage and walked up the two flights of stairs to the main level of the house. Georgie ran up to him with a grin and a fiercely wagging tail. Jim knelt down as she rubbed up against him. She put her front paws on his shoulders and licked his face furiously.

He laughed as he rubbed her back. “Hey Georgie-girl,” he said with a grin. “You happy to see me?”

Georgie continued to lick his face as her tail kept wagging. They stayed like that for a while together, just a man and a dog enjoying each other’s company. Eventually, Georgie got tired of licking his face, and she rested on all four feet. She grinned up at him before she ran to the back door. 

Jim stood and brushed the hair off his jacket. He turned to let her out when something caught his eye in the living room.

There was white stuff all over the couches and floor. Jim cocked his head to one side before stepping into the room properly. 

The coffee table had been knocked over, and the holos that sat on it lay on the floor. One of them had shattered, and there was broken glass scattered across the wood. The throw pillows were all destroyed, and their filler had been pulled and dropped all over the living room. Dirt was scattered in the corner from where Georgie had clearly been playing in Bones’ plants. 

The living room was a complete disaster.

Jim gaped at it in shock before he looked at Georgie, who was still sitting by the door. 

“How did you do all this?”

Georgie didn’t stop wagging her tail, but she at least had the grace to stop grinning. She cocked her head to one side at him curiously.

Jim walked over and knelt down in front of her. “Your other Dad is gonna kill me.”

Georgie seemed to sense that something was wrong, because her ears went flat and her tail stopped wagging. She nuzzled into Jim slowly, burrowing her head into his chest. Jim wrapped his arms around her and sighed.

“I can’t stay mad at you,” he said finally. “It’s my fault anyways. I guess I just can’t let you be out during the day.”

Georgie continued to nuzzle him as he stroked her flank.

“Okay,” he said finally. He reached up and pushed the keypad to open the back door. “Go out, go to the bathroom.” Georgie slowly made her way out the door, looking back over her shoulder as if she was asking if it was really okay. Jim nodded at her, and she took off. He closed the door behind her and went back into the living room to finish surveying the damage. 

It actually wasn’t that bad, now that he was giving it a second glance. The only real problem was the broken holo frame. The picture itself wasn’t irreplaceable; it was one taken on their last shore leave on board the _Enterprise_. Jim could get another copy made easily enough. 

He still needed to clean the mess before Bones got home. 

Jim went upstairs to change out of his uniform into sweatpants, t-shirt, and sneakers. He went back downstairs to his man cave to grab the vacuum cleaner. It would take some doing, but he was pretty confident he could get the whole mess fixed by the time Bones got home. 

First he gathered up all the pillow stuffing and remnants of the throw pillows before putting them into the recycler. Then he vacuumed up the dirt and swept up the glass. 

Jim was just in the middle of righting the coffee table when he heard Bones call his name from downstairs. “Up here,” he called back with a grunt as he put it back into place. Bones came up the stairs as Jim arranged the holo frames back into position. He stopped short with a raised eyebrow. 

“We just set up the house, so I know you’re not bored with the way our things are arranged.”

“Georgie had an accident.”

“Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she’s outside,” Jim said as he stood up. “Living room wasn’t, though. I just cleaned it up.”

“You just got home an hour and a half ago. How’d she wreck the living room that quickly?”

Jim bit his bottom lip. “I may have left her out today?”

Now both of Bones’ eyebrows were raised. “May have?”

“I shut the gate, but I didn’t latch it into place or lock it,” Jim explained. “She pushed her way through and had an adventure. Your plants are fine, by the way.”

Bones pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. 

“Before you say I told you so,” Jim said in an exasperated tone, “I get it now, and it won’t happen again, okay?”

Bones continued to pinch the bridge of his nose as he wordlessly made his way into the kitchen to start dinner. Jim sighed and followed him. 

“I’m sorry, too.”

Bones didn’t say anything as he opened the refrigerator, pulling out hamburger patties and cheese. 

“Look, I’m serious, Bones. I’m sorry.” Jim watched him move with a guilty expression. “You’re right, she needs boundaries. It won’t happen again. She just looked so sad this morning…”

Bones dropped the meat and cheese on the counter loudly, just this side of slamming it down. He turned to face Jim with a serious expression. “How do you expect her to listen when you let her walk all over you?” He began to wash his hands.

“She’s not walking all over me,” Jim said as he blinked at him.

“You’re letting her jump all over you instead of staying on the ground like she should. You let her out because you felt sorry for her.”

“Which I won’t be doing again, because you’re right that she can’t be trusted alone.” Jim pointed at Bones with his index finger. “The jumping thing isn’t a big deal.”

“It is when we have people over,” Bones said as he unwrapped two of the patties. “It’s bad behavior, Jim, and you’re reinforcing it by not keeping her from doing it.”

“It’s one thing, it’s not her walking all over me, and we’ve had the dog for a freaking day,” Jim said with a frown. “Does it really bother you that much?”

Bones shrugged as he arranged the patties, cheese, and hamburger fixins like Jim’s precious ketchup on a tray. “It’s a pattern I’m noticing, is all. She’s going to start pushing past you and taking things over. Next she’ll be on the furniture.”

“I captained the ‘Fleet flagship for five years, and you think I’m going to let a _dog_ push me around?”

“You already are,” Bones said as he carried the tray to the back door, where Georgie was waiting patiently to be let back in. Her tail began to wag furiously at the sight of the two of them. “Look, I’m not really angry. I’m just frustrated.”

“Because you think that I’m letting a dog strong-arm me,” Jim snapped. The door slid open, and Georgie caught sight of the food on the tray and followed Bones over to the grill. She sat by it, tail dragging across the ground. Jim was glaring openly at Bones’ back as he turned it on. “You think I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Bones sighed and turned to face him. “I think you’ve never had a dog before, and you’re not being as strict as you should be. I’m not really trying to argue with you, and I’m not really mad. We just agreed that you would be responsible for her training, and so far you’re not doing anything. I just wanted to say something before time passes, and we’re stuck with her being bad all the time, that’s all.”

Jim continued to glare at him. 

Bones sighed again before putting the meat patties on the grill. “Look, I was being an asshole about it, I get that. I’m not sorry for what I’ve been saying, but I am sorry for how I said it. Okay?”

The glare got turned down a couple of notches, but Jim was still visibly displeased. Bones sighed for a third time; he was potentially looking at a night in the guest room at the rate things were going. He closed the cover of the grill and moved to wrap his arms around his husband. Jim stiffened but didn’t pull away, which was a good sign.

“I’m sorry, darlin’,” he said as he ran his hands down Jim’s back. “I shouldn’t have come at you with both arms swinging like that.”

“True.”

“I should have thought more before I spoke.”

The stiff set of Jim’s shoulders began to loosen somewhat. “Also true.”

“And you’re right, it’s only been a day. We’re all still trying to get our footing with this,” Bones continued in a soft voice. “There’s bound to be some missteps along the way. It’s not the end of the world, and I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

Jim buried his face in Bones’ neck, which was the signal that all was forgiven. Good, they’d be sharing a bed after all. Bones pulled back so he could kiss him; it took Jim a second, but he closed his eyes and kissed him back.

Something shoved itself in-between their legs. The pair looked down to see Georgie huffing up at them with her tail wagging. Clearly she didn’t fancy being left out, and both Bones and Jim couldn’t help but chuckle at the look of consternation on her face. 

“Spoiled rotten dog,” Bones said with affection. Georgie huffed again at him before turning her attention to Jim. He let go of Bones and knelt down to pet her, as Bones went back to their dinner. 

“You want to be good don’t you,” Jim said to her as he scratched behind her ears. She looked at him curiously for a second before sitting in front of him with a smile. He reached out his arms and wrapped her into a hug. “You’re just a diamond in the rough. You’ll see.”

Georgie placed her head on Jim’s shoulder as he stroked her back. Bones looked down at the two of them, smiling at the sight. 

He couldn’t help but think how nice it was to have a fulltime family again.

\-----

It was the next evening, post-dinner, and Jim sat on the floor locked in a staring contest with Georgie, who was standing in front of him. A bag of treats sat on the ground next to Jim. Bones was upstairs in his office doing some paperwork.

Georgie blinked a few times before she looked away.

He had done a lot of reading during his lunch hour at the office. People published blogs on how to train dogs, particularly stubborn ones. There were a lot of good resources, and Jim took advantage of them. After a brief stop back at Petsmart for supplies, Jim and Bones came home. They ate dinner like always, but now it was time for work. 

Jim opened the bag and fished out a handful of the treats. “Okay, girl. If you sit, you get a treat. Simple enough for you?”

Georgie looked at him, licking her chops at the sight of the treats. She moved close to him and wagged her tail.

“Uh-uh,” Jim said with a shake of his head. “Sit.”

Georgie stared up at him with a confused expression.

“Sit.” Jim pushed down on her hindquarters; Georgie resisted at first, but then she gave in. Jim gave her a treat. “Good girl! You’re through.”

Georgie again stared up at him with a confused expression. After a moment, she got up and began to sniff his hand. Jim held it up out of her reach, and she huffed a little in annoyance.

“Nope. Sit.”

Georgie looked up at his hand expectantly. Jim pushed down on her hips. This time, he met with less resistance, although there was still some, and she sat. He gave her a treat.

Jim repeated this several more times before Georgie started doing it automatically on the word _sit_. He would sometimes give her a treat, always gave some praise, release her from it, and repeat the whole process. Georgie figured out quickly that she couldn’t get up until he said that she was through. 

After she did it flawlessly ten times in a row, Jim was satisfied.

“Okay, Georgie, you wanna come upstairs with me?”

Georgie stayed sitting and didn’t move.

“Oh,” Jim said as he rubbed the back of his head with his left hand. “Forgot. You’re through!”

Georgie stood up and walked over to him with her tail wagging. Jim placed his hand on top of her head fondly. 

“C’mon, girl, let’s go show Other Dad what you can do.” He began to make his way over to the stairs, Georgie following curiously at his heels. He led her up the stairs, and she followed with a curious expression. It was her first time leaving the kitchen level of the house, and she was obviously intrigued.

“Hey, Bones,” Jim called when they reached the master level. “You busy?”

“Mmm,” came the reply. Jim looked down at Georgie, who was looking around the room. She paused to sniff the air; satisfied, she began to explore. She sniffed around their bed for a while before turning her attention to the door that led out to their deck. Jim made his way to his husband’s office.

“I thought you were just lecturing this week, and weren’t giving out an assignment until next,” Jim said as he sat on the edge of Bones’ desk. Bones didn’t look up as he continued to stare down at his PADD. 

“I did assign something actually, and I’m just double-checking it to make sure the answers are coming through properly. Sometimes this stupid school network has glitches.”

“So I can show you what I’ve done without distracting you too much.”

“Hm?” Bones finally looked up at him, taking in the pleased expression. “What’s that?”

Jim turned back towards the bedroom and whistled. Georgie came bounding into the office. She eagerly greeted Bones, although she didn’t jump on him. He scratched her behind the ears fondly. 

“Just wanted to show you what Georgie and I have been doing.” Jim looked at Georgie. “Sit.”

Georgie immediately sat, as she looked up at Jim with an adoring expression. 

“Good girl! You’re through!” Georgie stood back up and made her way over to Jim. He pat her a few times before turning to Bones, who looked suitably impressed. “You try.”

Bones looked at Georgie. “Sit.”

Georgie sat. 

Bones smiled. “Good job, Georgie.” He paused before remembering the final thing Jim said. “You’re through, I suppose.” Georgie stood back up and made her way to Bones for some affection. He stroked her a few times with a proud expression. “You did all this just since dinner?”

“I told you she was smart,” Jim said with a shrug. “Well, and the treats helped. But no, I spent my lunch hour reading up on how to do one-on-one dog training. I’ll practice this with her for a week, and then I’ll move on to the next command, which is lay down. That one looks tricky, all the blogs I’ve been reading have said that getting a dog to lay down is the hardest part of training.”

Bones stood from his chair. “C’mere,” he said as he opened his arms to Jim. Jim let himself be pulled into a hug. “I’m proud of you.” He really was, and he was suddenly struck by just how much he loved him. Jim was amazing, not that there was any doubt about that, and Bones wanted to show him just how he felt.

Jim flushed just in time for Bones to press a kiss to his mouth. Georgie huffed up at them, but this time they didn’t break apart. Bones began to pull Jim out of the office towards their bed.

“Wait, but,” Jim said in between kisses. “You were working…”

“Can wait,” Bones rumbled as he moved his mouth down to his neck, the day’s stubble scratching not unpleasantly against his cheek. “This is more important.”

He carefully steered his husband to the bed, playfully shoving him down onto it. Jim propped himself up on his elbows, looking up at Bones with a mischievous expression. 

“Guess I should train dogs more often,” he said as Bones pulled off his shirt. Bones smirked down at him. 

“Only if you want to me not get anything accomplished ever again,” Bones retorted. Jim pulled his own shirt up and tossed it towards his hamper. Bones knelt on the bed in between his legs, bending down to kiss him again. The kissing led to touching, and Bones slid his hands along Jim’s skin everywhere he could reach. He scratched his blunt nails across one of Jim’s pectorals, causing Jim to hiss and arch in pleasure.

Bones was mouthing at Jim’s collarbone and undoing his fly when something came out of nowhere and licked him on the cheek and mouth.

“Hhhgnfft,” he sputtered as he fell off Jim and onto his side.

Georgie stood on all fours on the bed proudly and barked at the two of them.

Jim blinked twice at Bones before turning to their dog. “Oh. Right. I guess I should have taken her downstairs and gated her up in the kitchen.”

Bones, who was wiping his face with a somewhat disgusted look, gave Jim a withering stare. “I’d say that was a safe bet.”

“Oh don’t you start,” Jim said with a roll of his eyes. “You’re just as guilty of it as I am this time, husband-mine. In fact, since you started it, it’s actually more your fault.”

“Whatever,” Bones said as he continued to wipe his face. “Take her downstairs, I need to brush my teeth and wash my face before we continue.”

Jim perked up. “We get to still have sex?”

Bones looked at Jim; sometimes he didn’t know if he had a one-trick mind, or if he was just a one-trick pony. “Yes, Jim. We get to still have sex, _after_ the dog is put up for the night.”

Jim shot off the bed like a rocket. “C’mon, Georgie, time for bed,” he said as he literally ran out the room. Georgie grinned and chased him down the stairs. 

And Bones did indeed brush his teeth and wash his face before they continued where they left off.

Twice.

\-----

_From: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Kirk, James T., Captain, Starfleet Command – Public Relations_

_Subject: Dinner_

_Hello Jim, I hope this message finds you well._

_I just wanted to inform you that we got our orders, and the Enterprise is heading out to Capella IV to smooth things over with the current Teer in order to keep our mining agreement in tact. We’ll be shipping out next week._

_Even though it’s only for three months, Spock and I feel we should do a dinner of some sort, as you and Leonard will not be going with us. Perhaps at Garibaldi’s?_

_Let me know when is good for the two of you, and I’ll coordinate schedules with everyone else. Talk to you soon!_

_Nyota_

 

_From: Kirk, James T., Captain, Starfleet Command – Public Relations_

_To: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Dinner (Different idea, hear me out)_

_Nyota,_

_Garibaldi’s is great and all, but none of you have been by to check out my and Bones’ new digs. How does a housewarming/good luck on your mission party in Presidio Heights sound instead?_

_Jim_

_PS – Give Spock a noogie for me._

 

_From: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Kirk, James T., Captain, Starfleet Command – Public Relations_

_Subject: Re: Re: Dinner (Different idea, hear me out)_

_Jim,_

_A housewarming sounds delightful. I’ll let everyone know the change in plans. Would Saturday work? Would you like us to bring anything?_

_Nyota_

_PS – I most certainly will not._

 

_From: Kirk, James T., Captain, Starfleet Command – Public Relations_

_To: McCoy, Leonard H., Commander, Starfleet Academy_

_Subject: Party!_

_Hey Bones, how do you feel about having the gang over for a housewarming on Saturday? They’re offering to bring stuff!_

_Your hunka-hunka burnin’ love,_

_Jim_

 

_From: McCoy, Leonard H., Commander, Starfleet Academy_

_To: Kirk, James T., Captain, Starfleet Command – Public Relations_

_Subject: Re: Party_

_I have never once in my life referred to you or anyone else as my “hunka-hunka burnin’ love,” you halfwit._

_Saturday doesn’t give us much time to prepare or set a menu, but I’m assuming they’ve got orders and can’t afford the luxury of giving us more notice. We don’t have plans, so it’s fine by me. I can make that brisket you always drool after._

_Bones_

 

_From: Kirk, James T., Captain, Starfleet Academy_

_To: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Re: Re: Dinner (Different idea, hear me out)_

_Saturday’s perfect! Bones is making brisket, and I’ll make sure we have some veggie options for Spock. Bring wine, and tell everyone else to bring hors d’oeuvres and snacky things._

_One couple can bring a dessert. One._

_Love you, see you Saturday!_

_Jim_

 

_From: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Chapel, Christine, Lieutentant-Commander, USS Enterprise_  
Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise  
Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise  
S’chn T’Gai, Spock, Captain, USS Enterprise  
Sulu, Hikaru, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise 

_Subject: Party at the Kirks’_

_Everyone,_

_We are cordially invited to an impromptu housewarming gathering and good luck on our next mission party at the Kirks’ this Saturday. I realize this is short notice, but I’m sure none of you have plans and can at least stop by. Leonard and Jim are excited to see all of us again._

_If you would be so kind as to bring something with you, as it is doubling as their housewarming, it would be appreciated. They’re in need of a dessert, and hors d’oeuvres._

_Talk to you soon!_

_Nyota_

 

_From: Sulu, Hikaru, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Party at the Kirks’_

_Boy, are you going to get it when I tell Leonard that you called them “The Kirks.”_

_;)_

_Hikaru_

 

_From: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_To: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_CC: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Party at the Kirks’_

_I am very excited about this! Scotty and I will bring borscht! It is my mother’s recipe and cannot be beaten!_

_Pavel_

 

_From: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Well…_

_About the whole borscht thing, maybe we should bring something simpler. Like…crudités._

 

_From: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_To: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Well…_

_What’s wrong with my Mama’s borscht? It only has a few ingredients, and is the perfect comfort food. It brings good fortune._

_Besides, we are not bringing a common vegetable plate to the new home of our friends. No, we are bringing borscht._

 

_From: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Re: Well…_

_We’ll talk about it when I get home._

 

_From: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Sulu, Hikaru, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Oh come on._

_We both know who wears the pants in that relationship._

_Nyota_

 

_From: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_CC: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Re: Party at the Kirks’_

_Borscht sounds wonderful, Pavel. I know Spock is fond of it._

_We’ll see you tomorrow._

_Nyota_

 

_From: Sulu, Hikaru, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Oh come on._

_Well yeah, okay, you have a point, but still. I’m not going to be the one to tell HIM that._

 

_From: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_To: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: See?_

_We have nothing to talk about. Mama’s borscht is popular, so we are bringing borscht. It is decided._

 

_From: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: See?_

_Pavel, what have we talked about? About you not being a right little cunt?_

 

_From: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_To: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Re: See?_

_That I am not to be a “right little cunt.”_

_I am sorry. I just got excited to share Mama’s borscht with our friends._

 

_From: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Re: Re: See?_

_It’s all right, love. We’ll bring the borscht, all right?_

_I’ll get the beef broth and beets on my way home so you can make it tonight._

 

_From: Chekov, Pavel A., Lieutenant, USS Enterprise_

_To: Scott, Montgomery, Commander, USS Enterprise_

_You are the very best, Scotty. I love you, and I will see you this evening!_

 

_From: Uhura, Nyota, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_To: Sulu, Hikaru, Lieutenant-Commander, USS Enterprise_

_Subject: Re: Re: Oh come on._

_Point taken. Let’s just keep this between us, shall we?_

_Nyota_

\-----

Saturday was beautiful, not too hot and sunny. “Bones,” Jim called out into the backyard as he slid the door open. Georgie sat up from where she was laying on the deck with a curious expression.

Bones wiped his brow with his arm, careful to not smudge potting soil over his face. “Yeah?” He was in the midst of planting the final tree in their back garden, a gardenia. A magnolia would be too large for the space they had, but a gardenia would flourish nicely. 

“It’s a nice day, and so she’s not bored later on when our guests arrive, I was thinking I’d take Georgie on a run around the neighborhood.” 

“Not a bad idea,” Bones said as he continued to dig in the soil. His gloves were getting more and more stained. “She could probably use the exercise.”

“Yeah,” Jim agreed. “Maybe I’ll make it a thing, where I take her everyday. I can’t get lazy now that I’m behind a desk all day.”

“I’d join you, but I’m in the middle of something,” Bones said, finally satisfied that he’d dug far enough for the tree. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’ll get you next time.” Jim bent down and planted a kiss in his husband’s somewhat sweaty hair. “Garden looks great by the way, I can’t wait to see it when it’s all in bloom.”

“I picked things you’re not allergic to,” Bones said. “You should be able to sit out here with minimal problems.”

“You’re too good to me.”

Bones shrugged. “Probably.” He stood up and went over to grab the tree, which was sitting in a large pot filled with soil. “Have fun on your run. Don’t forget to hydrate.”

“I’ll be back in time to vacuum and dust,” Jim tossed over his shoulder. “C’mon Georgie.” The dog got up and followed him back into the house. Jim grabbed her leash and clicked it onto her collar. They made their way down the stairs to the front door before stepping outside onto the sidewalk. Jim took a moment to stretch as Georgie tugged on her leash several times, eager to get on with it. Jim grinned down at her before breaking out into a nice, easy run. 

They ran down the street for several blocks before turning a corner and heading up Washington Street. The air was pleasant, and Georgie was obviously enjoying the run. 

They kept going up Washington for a good distance before turning onto Locust. Together they jogged down Locust until it intersected with Jackson. Then they began to double-back and make their way towards Maple.

Running was exhilarating, and it had been far too long since Jim really cut loose. He picked up his pace, Georgie following suit. She was bounding happily along next to him, with a large grin on her face.

Just up ahead, a blonde woman in white exercise clothes was walking a beautiful collie. Jim slowed his pace to a walk. Georgie looked up at him with a curious expression, but she also slowed down. When she saw the other dog up ahead, the fur on her back began to stand on end and her tail began to wag slowly. She stopped panting and stared.

The collie noticed that another dog was nearby and turned to face Georgie. It, too, wagged its tail cautiously at the sight of her. The woman turned around; she was good-looking, if a bit haughty. 

The collie rushed at Georgie, dragging the woman a little bit. Georgie began to pull on her leash, and Jim struggled to hold her back.

“Georgie,” Jim said at the same moment the woman admonished her dog with a low “Christian.” He looked at the woman and smiled. “Er, sorry. She’s friendly, I promise.”

Georgie and Christian were circling and attempting to sniff each other out. Jim got tangled in Georgie’s leash for a moment before shifting it to his right hand. 

“It’s all right,” the woman said with a smile. “It happens all the time.” She tossed her hair over one shoulder, looking up at Jim with interest. “I don’t recall running into you before. Are you new?”

“To the neighborhood, yeah,” Jim said with a smile of his own. He extended a hand towards her. “Jim.”

“Emma,” she said as she delicately returned the handshake. “Beautiful dog. What kind is she?”

Jim thought for a moment; it was probably easier to explain the German Shepherd part since he was not sure how to describe a Shiba Inu. “German Shepherd mix.”

“Well, she’s striking,” Emma continued as Georgie and Christian continued to sniff each other eagerly. Christian crouched into a playful stance, and Georgie boldly marched up to him, nipping at his ear. They began to chase each other, or at least chase each other as much as they could on their leashes. Jim laughed a little at the sight, while Emma watched Jim out of the corner of her eye and smiled.

“Christian’s a pretty dog too,” he said in between laughter. “I’ve always been fond of Collies.”

“He’s my handsome man,” Emma replied. She looked down at Christian, who was still crouched and now barking at Georgie. Georgie barked back. “Do you ever take Georgie to Alta Plaza? It’s a dog park not too far from here.”

“Oh, you know, I think I’ve read about it,” Jim said with a grin. “But we haven’t been there yet, no.”

Emma looked down at the dogs, who were still playing happily. “As Christian and Georgie appear to be fast friends, perhaps we should set up a playdate for them. Tomorrow, maybe?”

“Tomorrow sounds great, but I have to double-check to make sure I’m free.”

Emma’s smile brightened considerably. “This is your lucky day then. I normally don’t do this,” she said as she pulled out her communicator. “But you seem harmless enough. What’s your email address?”

Jim pulled out his own communicator. “Kirk James at Starfleet dot mil.”

“Ah, so you are Starfleet,” she said with a hint of knowing in her voice. “That explains the recent relocation.”

His communicator beeped, signaling that he had an email. It said it was from _emma.g.frost@frost.com_. He opened it, and all it said was _Alta Plaza, tomorrow at noon. It’s a date._ He quickly saved her to his contacts. “Got it.”

“Then I shall see you tomorrow, Jim,” she said, again tossing her hair over her shoulder. “Come, Christian.” Christian perked his ears up at her command, and reluctantly began to follow her. He looked over his shoulder at Georgie as if he was saying goodbye. 

Jim looked down at her message again when he was suddenly struck by her phrasing. He also wanted to smack himself for not catching onto it more quickly. He went to call after her, but she was already a good distance away, and he would have to shout to get her to hear him. 

The last thing Jim felt like doing was introducing himself to his new neighbors as “that guy who shouts at women randomly on the street.” 

He looked down at Georgie with a rueful smile.

“Man…” he said as he pat her head fondly. “Where the hell were you when I was single?”

Georgie cocked her head to one side and looked up at him. He shook his head a few times before starting their run back up.

Whatever, he’d bring Bones with him tomorrow and hopefully he and Emma could be friends at least. No harm, no foul.

\-----

The house had been cleaned, dinner was cooking, Georgie was enjoying being out in the backyard, and Bones and Jim showered and changed. Their guests were due to arrive any minute for their housewarming.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. 

“Jim,” Bones called from the kitchen where he was checking on the brisket.

“Got it,” Jim called back as he made his way down the stairs to the front door. He checked his watch; it was eight on the dot. The only people it could be were Spock and Nyota.

Sure enough, there they were on the other side of the door. Jim pulled it open. “Spock,” he greeted warmly as he kissed Nyota on the cheek. “Nyota. Come on in.” He ushered them into the foyer, and Spock was looking up at the light fixture with a curious expression. 

“This is a lovely house,” Nyota said, manners as impeccable as ever. “Thank you so much for inviting us.”

“Thanks for coming,” Jim said back. That was when he noticed the package in her arms. “Here, let me get that and take it up to the kitchen for you. Bones is up there, working on some last minute dinner things.” He gestured for them to follow as he made his way back up the stairs. 

Bones appeared from the kitchen, his apron still on. “Nyota,” he greeted warmly. He looked at Spock. “Hobgoblin.”

Spock merely nodded in return, with no offense taken. Jim handed Bones the bag as the doorbell rang a second time. “Here, I’ll get it,” he said as he began to make his way back down the stairs. Bones peered down into the bag, noting its contents: several bottles of wine, a fancy dip, and fresh vegetables. He took the bag into the kitchen in order to chill the wine. 

Jim greeted Hikaru and Christine, pausing at the door when he noticed Scotty and Pavel coming up the walk. Christine was carrying a crumble of some kind that he tried to get a better look at.

“Blackberry,” she said in response to his unanswered question. “My mother’s recipe.”

“Sounds good,” Jim said with a nod as Pavel and Scotty arrived behind them. Pavel was carrying a giant bowl of…something.

“I also use my Mama’s recipe,” he said proudly. “It is Chekov family’s borscht.”

Jim raised both eyebrows but took the bowl anyways. “Borscht. How…great,” he said as he looked at Scotty. The engineer gave him a look that said _just go with it_. “Thanks, Pavel. This will be nice to have before we eat the main course.” Pavel beamed and made his way up the stairs with the bowl. Scotty hung back for a second to talk to Jim.

“Sorry,” he said. “I tried to talk him out of it.”

“It’s fine,” Jim said. “I’ll give it a try, and so will Bones. I mean, yeah it’s cold beet soup, but it can’t be all bad.”

Scotty smiled at Jim. “Thanks, Captain.”

Jim sighed. “For God’s sake, Scotty, it’s Jim. I don’t know how many times I have to…”

“I know, I know,” Scotty said as he raised both his hands. “It’s just…old habits die hard.”

Jim smiled and clapped him on the shoulder with a hand. “Yeah, I understand. C’mon, let’s join everyone else.”

They made their way upstairs, where Bones was explaining a painting to Spock and Christine. Hikaru, Nyota, and Pavel had glasses of the Prosecco Bones was fond of serving at parties as they discussed the latest Starfleet gossip. Scotty made his way towards that group, and Pavel handed him a glass of the sparkling wine. Jim joined Bones and Spock’s group; Jim had worked closely with the decorator on the furnishings of the house, and he was proud of their modest art collection.

The conversation flowed freely between everyone, and why shouldn’t it have? After all, they were old friends at this point.

Bones politely excused himself to check on dinner, leaving Jim with Christine and Spock. The conversation turned to the _Enterprise’s_ new mission, and how interested Spock was in returning to Capella IV. It was nice catching up with them, Jim decided. 

He needed to make an effort to stay in touch with them while they were on their mission. 

The vegetables were done, and the salad was put into a big serving bowl. Bones unwrapped the borscht and set it out as well. They were serving the meal buffet-style, with the dishes on the sideboard of their dining room. Everyone was snacking on the dip and raw vegetables Nyota and Spock brought. 

It was a perfect evening among friends.

A loud bark resounded throughout the house. Jim and Bones looked to the backdoor where Georgie was standing, obviously wanting to be let back in. Their guests looked momentarily confused.

“Was that a dog,” Hikaru asked to no one in particular. Jim and Bones looked at each other. 

On the one hand, there was no point in lying. 

On the other hand, they couldn’t really trust her to behave for their guests. 

“Yeah,” Jim finally answered. “We just got her this week. Her name’s Georgie.”

Pavel brightened. “I love dogs. Why is she outside?”

Jim and Bones looked at each other again. “Well, she’s…a puppy. So she’s kind of rambunctious.”

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Christine said. Hikaru nodded his agreement.

“Yeah, I think we all like dogs,” he said. Everyone else nodded their agreement. “Come on, let her in so we can meet her. She’s part of the family now.”

Bones took a sip of wine and looked at Jim. Jim looked back at him with a shrug. 

“Okay sure,” Jim said after a while. “But she can be overly friendly.” He walked to the back door and opened it. “She likes to jump all over people, so be warned.”

Georgie tumbled in the door and stopped short. She sniffed the air for a second before zooming into the living area where the people were. She ran up to Pavel first, sniffing at his pants’ legs. He reached down and pet her for a while, before she ran over to Scotty.

Somehow, she didn’t jump on anyone or scream or do anything that she normally did when Jim and Bones would come home. She behaved like a well-trained dog.

Georgie got attention from Scotty before running up to Hikaru and Christine. They knelt down and pet her before she went over to Nyota.

“Huh,” Jim said as Bones stood next to him. “She’s…being good.”

“She is,” Bones said with a note of surprise in his voice. “Maybe she’s overwhelmed by all of the people, and she doesn’t know how to act.”

“Could be,” Jim replied. “I’d rather not question it too much, though. I think we should just go with it.”

Bones took a sip of Prosecco. “Probably.” He excused himself to finish setting up their dinner.

Georgie sniffed at Spock for a brief second before making her way back to Pavel. She stood in front of him, wagging her tail and grinning. He knelt down and scratched her. Jim looked at Nyota curiously, realizing that Georgie didn’t allow Spock to pet her.

“He’s more of a cat person,” she said by way of explanation. Jim nodded.

“Makes sense.”

“She is very sweet,” Pavel said as he looked up at Jim and Bones. “She is also not bad at all.”

“She’s practically an angel, unlike that beagle,” Scotty added. Wisely, no one commented on what he was referencing. Spock looked down at her, as she rolled onto her back to allow Pavel to stroke her belly.

“She seems to be rather intelligent for a dog,” Spock said. “She immediately discerned that I am more inclined to cats and instead opted to seek attention from those more amenable to giving it to her.”

Jim looked down at Georgie, who was still on her back. “Thanks for making me look crazy.”

Georgie looked up at him, and Jim could have sworn she was smirking. 

The little shit.

“Everything’s ready,” Bones called from the dining room. “Come on, folks.”

Everyone followed Jim into the dining room, where the food was waiting and the table was set. They all took their seats, the conversation flowed freely, and they enjoyed their meal.

And if Georgie “accidentally” ate Scotty’s borscht, no one really minded.

Well, except Pavel. But he got over it.

\-----

It was early Sunday evening, and Jim and Bones lay contentedly on the couch together as they listened to some light music. Chinese food cartons with chopsticks sticking out sat on the coffee table in front of them, along with two glasses of wine.

The dog park date had been a success, although Emma was noticeably disappointed when Jim introduced Bones as his husband; however, Bones quickly won her over with his dry-witted observations about the other park-goers. The snark flowed somewhat freely between them, and they were fast friends. 

Georgie and Christian got along like a house on fire, and both of them were well worn-out by the time the hour was up. They all had coffee together at a little café Emma knew that was dog friendly and received invitations to a party she was hosting before they parted ways as friends. 

All in all, it was a perfect day.

Georgie lay on the floor by the couch, chewing on a pig ear happily. Anytime he or Bones would get up, she would growl a little and hunch defensively over her treat. She would also growl when one of them would make eye contact with her. 

It was a little unnerving for Jim and amusing for Bones. 

Jim continued to lay with his head pillowed on Bones’ shoulder as Sam Cooke sang about soothing his soul with his friends all night long. He sighed a little and looked down at their dog. His heart contracted a little in his chest at the sight of her.

“I never realized that I could love something not you this much,” he said in a quiet voice. “Is that weird?” 

“Not really,” Bones said after a few seconds. “Dogs are called man’s best friend for a reason. They’re pack animals, and if you’re their pack, you’re their world. It’s only natural that if you’re Georgie’s world, she’d be a big part of yours too.”

Georgie gnawed on the pig ear extra loudly. She chewed with the conviction that only a dog with a treat can have, the kind that borders on religious fervor if not for the fact that it involves something edible. Jim watched her with fascination before responding to his husband.

“That pig ear’s her world,” he pointed out. Still though, Bones’ description made him feel light inside.

“She’s focused on the pig ear at the moment, but the pig ear doesn’t feed her or take her to the dog park. It doesn’t give her affection or talk to her in a soothing voice. It doesn’t love her, unlike how you love her unconditionally.”

Jim looked back up at him with a playful smile. “Your love for her is conditional, I’m assuming.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Bones answered. “I just have owned dogs before. I’m more familiar with their ups and downs. I’m more realistic about her, while you’re more optimistic.” He shrugged. “It’s really not all that different from how we are about everything else.”

“Touché.” Jim snuggled into him, and Bones wrapped one arm around him while placing his other hand in his hair. “But you do love her though, right?”

“She’s not bad.” At Jim’s glare, Bones rolled his eyes. “Of course I do. She’s a handful, and trouble sometimes, but she’s a good dog, and I think with you taking care of her she’ll be a great one someday.”

Satisfied, Jim switched from glaring to smiling. He looked back down at Georgie, who was just about finished eating the pig ear. He reached his arm down over the side and stroked her back once. This time she didn’t growl, and she ate the last bit of the pig ear before standing up. She licked Jim’s arm a few times before shoving her snout under his hand, placing it just on top of her head. He scratched her ears fondly.

It was true; Georgie was a good dog. In spite of the rough beginning, she was sweet and loving. She could be very gentle when she wanted to be. She was surprisingly good with company. She was good with other dogs. She was gorgeous.

Yeah, Jim thought to himself as he and Bones sat up to pet her, she was a part of the family now. That’s how it would be for the rest of her life.


End file.
